Non-numeral-key lock for computing type-writers



H/N. McKAY NON-NUMERAL KEY LOCK FOR COMPUTING TYPE WRITERS.

APPLICA-TlON FILED OCT. 5, 3915.

1,320,018. Patented Oct. 28,1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET i.

H. N. McKAY. NON-NUMERAL KEY LOOK FOR COMPUTING TYPE wRnERs.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 5.1915.

13%,018. Patented Oct. 28,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IN VEN TOR.

/ ATTORNEY5.

wr. cou nmm PLANOURAPH c0.. WASHINGTON. n. c.

essay iv. man; or oaknaivn, CALIFORNIA.

- NON-NUMERAL4KEY LocK FOR ooMruTIivG TYPE-WRITERS.

Application filed October 5, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY N. MoKAY, a citizen of the United States, .residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented newand useful Improvements in Non-Numeral-Key r Lock for Computing Type-Writer's, of which the following is a specification.

This. invention relates to a non-numeral key lock for computing typewriters.

The object of this device is to make it impossible to depress a letterk'ey, a punctuation key, or a space bar when the actuator wheel of the adding or subtracting mechanism is engaged with .atotalizer so asto actuate in a space occupied by a number wheel. 1 a

The advantages of this device are, first, it prevents errors often made by inexperienced operators through striking the small Ukey or the capital ITkey instead of the one key, and through striking the capital O? key for the Zero key, because of a habit formed by operating correspondence typewriters on which such usages are correct; second, it prevents the accidental or erroneous striking or depression of. a punctuation key,letter-key or a space bar from causingthe typewriter carriage to' move forward at a wrongtpoint, of operation and so allowing the numeral key thereafter struck 'toactuate in other than the correct wheels or spaces; third, by preventing the accidental or. erroneous striking, or depression of letter or punctuation keys in spaces devoted to numerals only, thedevice obviates the necessity for many erasures.

By thus allowing only numeral keys to be depressed in spaces designed to be occupied by, such numerals, and by preventing, the depression; in such spaces of keys not meant tobe depressed in such spaces, the device makes the adding or subtracting typewriter onwhichit is used more accurate than before. 1

The invention consists of, the parts and I the combination and construction, of parts as hereinafter more fully described "and claimed, havingreferenee to the accompanying drawings, in whichlfigure 1 is a sectional elevation ofa por- 9f a typewriter with computing attachments.

S peci fiati on tr Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

Serial No. 54,158.

Fig. "2 is a diagrammatic sectional view of the blocking device. 1

Fig. 3 is a perspective of a form of stop member, in inverted position.

Fig. t shows a modification of the device.

,Fig. 5 is a plan view of a typewriter with computing, attachment showing the invention as applied; Fig. 6 is a detail view of the yoke rod 15 and the crank supporting the same. a The reference character 2 indicates axportion of a typewriter frame to vwhich is attached a cased-in mechanism 3 for actuating the wheels of a computing device or totalizer 4:, here shown asmounted on the typewriter carriage 5. On the actuating mechanism 3 is a pointer 6 withwhi'ch may be registered index marks 7 coordinate with the position of respective numeral wheels 8 of the device 4. The reference'character 10 indicates the key levers of themachine for typing and some of these or the numeral keys only actuate the computer. This drawing shows a seven digit wheel computer, with two wheelson the decimal side and having spaces for typing the period and comma in their respective pointing off 'positions when typing a number. The device consists first, of a member 11, hereinafter called a blocking plate, mounted on the totalizer, the object of which is to obstruct the movement of a rocker arm 12 hereinafter to be described, at certain predetermined points, and to permit the free movement of said rocker arm at'all otherpoints. The blocking plate 11 is constructed of metal or other suitable material, andv for any given column ormtotalizer its length is the distance from the first number wheel of the totalizer to the last one, inclusive of thesefirst and last wheels, plus a letter space at each end. The blocking plate is designed in such a manner that when the actuator wheel of the adding or subtracting mechanism of the machine is engaged with a totalizer so as to actuate at. any commaspacef decimal-point space, or other point or space where there is no number wheel, the upturned ends of therocker arm 12 will be free to project or move into its extended position beyond, inor through the izer, on the frame of the machine or carriage, or on the carriage, that when the actuator wheel of the adding or subtracting mechanism is engaged with a totalizer gear so as to actuate in any space occupied by a number wheel, a portion of the blocking plate will prevent or obstruct the projection or movement of the rocker arm 12 into its extended position, and will thus prevent or obstruct the depression. of any key-lever or space-bar 1O that is connected with the rocker arm.

The rocker arm is pivotally mounted, as at 14: on the frame or carriage of the machine or of the actuating mechanism of the machine, and is so constructed and mounted that it has an extended and a rest position. It is of such a length and location that movement into extended position may be prevented or obstructed by the blocking plate under certain predetermined conditions as described above.

A means to connect the rocker arm 12 with any space-bar and with any or all key-levers 10 other than numeral key-levers is here shown as consisting of a horizontal bar or yoke-rod 15 located at right angles to the general direction of these levers and a distance below them greater than the maximum extent of depression of the levers, the yoke rod bein suspended at the ends by two springs 16 connected with the frame of the machine the tendency of which springs is to cause the yokerod to rise to its rest position after depression. A vertical rod or member 17 connects the rocker arm with the yoke-rod. Suitable projections 19 are attached to the space-bar levers and to any or all or all key-levers 10, other than numeral key-levers, these projections extending vertically downward a suflicient distance to reach or approach closely the horizontal yoke-rod 15 locatedxlirectly below them and depression of any key-lever carrying a projection 19 will, in this manner depress the yoke-rod and consequently rock the rocker arm.

The device operates as follows:

Each depression of any key-lever 10 or space-bar 10'* provided with a projection that engages with the yoke-rod 15 causes said yoke-rod with its vertical member to be depressed, it will at the same time carry the rocker arm about its pivot 141- into its eX- tended position, providing the movement of the rocker arm be not obstructed by the blocking plate.

Whenever the actuator wheel of the add ing or subtracting mechanism is engaged in a totalizer so as to actuate in any space or point where there is a number wheel, should the operator accidentally or erroneously strike a space bar or any non-numeral key 10 equipped with a projection 14, such space bar or non-numeral key will be found inoperable, because the blocking plate 11 due to its predetermined location and con tour, prevents or obstructs the movement of the rocker arm 12, which in turn through its connecting means prevents or obstructs the depression of the yoke-rod 15, and so of the key-lever or space bar through the projection with which it has been equipped.

A simple form of the blocking plate 11 is shown in inverted position in Fig. 3, and in which are shown stops 12 spaced to correspond with the numeral wheel positions, and are therefore, effective to prevent operation of any non-numeral keys at these positions.

The operator is thus notified of an attempted misoperation before any character is printed, or any spacing is done which would cause error or necessitate erasure.

In Fig. 4 is shown a modified form of the controller in which the key lever 30 is provided with a hook 31 adapted to engage a universal bar 32 mounted to be shifted by a device shown here as a wedge cam 33 on a link 34. This link is connected to a lever 35 which is actuated by a member 36 suitably mounted, as on the totalizer. This member is designed to actuate the cam 33 at predetermined positions of the totalizer so as to shift the universal bar into engaging position with the hook 31 of a key and thus prevent operation of the latter. It is understood that while the device shown in Fig. 1 is illustrated in the singular, it will be multiplied and designed to accomplish the purposes desired.

This invention is designed to be used on or in connection with any typewriter equipped with adding mechanism, or with adding and subtracting mechanism, whether such machine operates by means of a stationary totalizer and a moving actuator, or by means of a moving totalizer and a stationary actuator.

For the purpose of rendering the device as a whole inoperative when it is desired to use such keys as L O 1- space bars, etc., which keys must necessarily be released when the machine is used for ordi nary typing, a wing-key 10 has been pro vided. This key is secured on one end of the yoke-rod, as at 11, and used for the purpose of turning the yoke-rod about its pivots into the dotted line position, indicated at 42, see Fig. 2, where it is held against a stop pin 13 by means of the tension of springs 16. The keys above mentioned may now be operated as the yoke-rod is in a position where it will not be depressed by the members 19.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a recording calculating machine having a totalizer, numeral keys for actuating said totalizer, non-numeral keys for printing or spacing only, and means to prevent the operation of non-numeral keys at certain points in the totalizer.

2. In a recording calculating machine having a totalizer with numeral wheels and pointing 05 spaces therein, a master gear for operating the totalizer, numeral keys for op erating the recording and calculating mech anism simultaneously, other non-numeral keys for operating the recording mechanism only, and means to prevent the operation of the non-numeral keys when the master gear is engaged so as to operate in the numeral wheels.

3. In a computing typewriter, the combination with the keys thereof and the 001m puting mechanism, of a controller for preventing the operation of non-numeral keys at predetermined spaces or positions in the computing mechanism.

4:. In a computing typewriter, the combination with the keys thereof and the computing mechanism, of a blocking member, and means controlled thereby and engage able with the keys to prevent their operation.

5. In a computing typewriter, the combination with the non-numeral keys thereof and the computing mechanism, of a blocking member, and means controlled thereby and engageable with said keys to prevent their operation.

6. In a computing typewriter, the combination with the non-numeral keys thereof and the computing mechanism, of a blocking means engageable with said keys to prevent their respective operation at predetermined relations as to the computing mechanism.

. 7 In a computing typewriter, the combination with the non-numeral keys thereof and the computing mechanism, of a blocking means engageable with said keys to prevent their respective operation at predetermined relations as to the computing mechanism, said, means comprising a yoke-rod pivotally mounted below the keys, a member carried by certain non-numeral keys engageable with the yoke-rod to rock the same, a rocker arm adapted to be rocked by the yokerod, a blocking plate adapted to lock the rocker arm against movement, and means for turning the yoke-rod to a position where it will not be rocked by the certain keys or members carried thereby.

8. In a recording calculating machine having a totalizer, numeral keys for actuating said totalizer, non-numeral keys for printing or spacing only, means to prevent the operation of non-numeral keys at certain points in the totalizer, and means for releasing said preventing means when it is desired to operate all the keys without operating the totalizer.

9. In a recording machine, the combination with the numeral keys and non-numeral keys thereof, of adjustable means to prevent the striking of non-numeral keys in predetermined zones of operation reserved for the striking of numeral keys.

10. The combination with a recording ma chine having numeral and non-numeral keys and a carriage, of adjustable blocking means carried by the carriage, and means cooper ating with certain of said keys and engageable with said blocking means to prevent the striking of certain non-numeral keys during predetermined series of escapements of the carriage at intermediate points of the writing line.

11. The combination with a recording machine having numeral and non-numeral keys and a carriage, of adjustable means to prevent the striking of certain non-numeral keys in predetermined zones of operation located at intermediate points of the writing line, said means comprising an adjustable blocking plate on the carriage, a yoke-rod pivotally mounted below the keys, a member carried by certain non-numeral keys engage able with the yoke-rod to rock the same, and a rocker arm adapted tobe rocked by the yoke-rod into engagement with the blocking plate.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY N. McKAY. Witnesses W. W. HEALEY, M. E. EWING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

